Dhaka, Jul 18 Opposition BNP said on Wednesday the government has created a 'craze' of raising fund to build the Padma bridge on its own as an opportunity to 'extort money' from the people and to cover up the 'corruption' in the project. "Whatever the government may say, it cannot evade its responsibility for the corruption in the project and extortion of money later," party's Acting Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a discussion at the National Press Club in the city.
Supporting the World Bank's corruption allegations in the Padma bridge project, he said: "The government tarnished the country's image just to save one minister."
"And now, like a revolutionary leader, the Prime Minister is saying, 'we did not bend to any injustice and will not ever,' just to cover up the corruption."
"You [Prime Minister] think you can confuse the people with these revolutionary words? They are not such fools," he added.
The World Bank on Jun 29 cancelled its $ 1.2 billion loan pledged for the $ 2.9 billion project saying it had credible evidence for corruption in the Padma project. The government has been denying the allegations since the beginning.
Another lender of the country's biggest-ever infrastructural project, Asian Development Bank, also decided to follow the global lender by cancelling its pledged loan.
Following the announcements, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Parliament outlined the government's plan to construct the bridge with own fund. The government says her announcement drew huge response from the people.
Quoting a statement of the World Bank, Fakhrul on Wednesday said: "The global lender had notified the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman about the specific allegations 10 months ago. But the government did not take any measures."
"At last, the institution's Integrity Department Vice-President came to Dhaka and asked all concerned including the government head to take measures against the corruption allegations."
"But the government did not take any measures only to protect the former Communications Minister, Secretary and the Project Director," he alleged.
Referring to the recent clash at Rajshahi University over collecting funds for the Padma bridge that left one student dead, the BNP Acting Secretary-General claimed the government's announcement to build the bridge on its own has cleared the path to extort money from the people.
Fakhrul said a 'festival of extortion' in the name of Padma bridge has begun across the country. "A student was killed at Rajshahi University over sharing the extorted money. And now, the Finance Minister is saying 'those who are extorting money should be beaten'."
The BNP spokesperson also criticised the Awami League-led government saying the ruling party has turned the parliament into a one-party House and is appointing the party supporters in the judiciary and the administration.
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